Jorden had written instructions and directions down for Lisa on a piece of paper. He hadn’t labeled the destination with a name so only Lisa would know where the map led. Despite this, Lisa felt nervous as she made her way through the town. She didn’t relax at all until she was a good distance from every sign of civilization. It wasn’t like she expected anyone to stop her or search her bags. She just felt calmer once she was in the forest. It was peaceful and quiet out there.
She could now pull out the map without any fear. She should be getting really close. Lisa squinted through the trees. Yes, she could make out an old, crumbling brick wall. Her heart began to pound. She was almost there. Just a little further.
“Who’s there?” A sharp voice called from behind Lisa. She spun on her heel to find a young woman aiming a rifle at her. Lisa hadn’t heard the woman approach. The details on the woman’s face reminded Lisa of the sisters. The skin was textured and not perfectly smooth. The woman’s eyes gave away all the fear and anger she must be feeling. Human, she must be human. Lisa raised her hands.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m a friend of two humans. I have come here seeking shelter,” she said. All the color drained from the woman’s face.
“How do you know about this place? Who told you?” she demanded. Suddenly the forest was alive with people. Lisa was surrounded by faces that had melted into the shadows with ease. Before she could understand what was happening, Lisa was grabbed and shoved to the ground by one of the bystanders. Everyone in the room leaped to their feet and turned to face her. Their eyes glowed with hatred and fear. Naturally, Lisa was too stunned to speak for a moment. Why were they doing this?
“I-I don’t think you understand,” she said, trying to collect herself. “I-I’m not here to hurt you. I just need your help.” Two little girls needed their help and their protection during this difficult time. Now her hands were being bound. Panic filled Lisa. But she knew she needed to stay calm and controlled. They were frightened, of course they were. She felt a sharp pain in her right arm. Huh, what had they done to her? The world was growing dark. What was going to happen to her? Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm, Lisa thought to herself as the world around her faded away.
Lisa opened her eyes to find herself lying on a stone floor. The room around her was dark with no windows. Where had they put her? She tried to open the door. Locked, of course. Maybe it had been unwise of her to come here alone.
“Hello?” she called out. “Is anyone there?”
Now she could hear footsteps approaching. Lisa hastily stepped back as the door opened. A tall, middle-aged man stepped into the room. He appeared to be wearing some kind of uniform, although Lisa didn’t recognize it.
Lisa stood up straight and folded her arms behind her back. She was a little unsure about whether or not this man was the leader. But he was the only person whom she could talk to at that moment. Lisa cleared her throat before speaking. She needed to appear as harmless and genuine as possible.
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“I’m very sorry, I think there has been a misunderstanding. I have come here to ask for assistance,” she began. She didn’t get any further, because the man struck her across the face and shoved her back to the ground.
“How dare you come here?” he demanded. “This is a sanctuary for humans! You never should have set foot in this building.”
“I-I mean you no harm! All I want to know is if you’d be willing to provide two young humans with a- “ she was cut off once again by another blow to the face. For a moment, Lisa’s vision blurred. She could feel a small trickle of blood running down her cheek. Her mouth opened and closed. But no words came. She needed a minute to just catch her breath. She didn’t get that minute. She was being yanked to her feet now. A sharp scream escaped her as hands closed tightly around her throat. Gasping for air, she was pinned to the wall. Lisa could faintly make out the man’s face. She had never seen a look so intense and full of hatred before. His eyes seemed to bore into her soul and his grip around her neck grew tighter still.
“Formas are not welcome here! How dare you come here? After all that you filthy creatures have taken from us. I will not let you take away what little we have left!”
“I-I don’t understand,” Lisa could hardly get the words out of her mouth. “I… came here looking for help. I’m not armed, you can see that. Why are you doing this to me?” The man didn’t answer. He let her go and turned away. She coughed and spluttered. Lisa heard the door lock behind him. Coming here had been a mistake.
All through the day, Lisa could hear gunshots coming from nearby. What was this place? Everyone was armed. People seemed to be training for something. Lisa hadn't seen a single person so far who didn't look like a soldier. What was this place? It didn't feel like a sanctuary. It felt like a training ground. Training for what? Lisa had no way of knowing.
Every once in a while, people would enter her room. They never brought food or water. Only pain. Lisa lost track of the things she was called. She lost track of how many times she was slapped and hit. She lost track of the number of people who pulled her hair and bit her and spat in her face. Everyone here saw her as an enemy. She was a Forma, and the Formas had destroyed the humans. Guilt washed over her.
Did Sally or Riley secretly hate her too? She needed to get back to them. There had to be a way for her to escape. Her girls needed her. She wasn't going to leave them all alone. Were they worried about her? Did they miss her too? That was a nice thought. Lisa clung to the memory of their smiling faces as her arms were painfully twisted and someone shouted in her ear. Lisa was glad that her head had been damaged first. She felt the pain, but it was growing numb and dull. Her head was too fuzzy to process the signals that her panicked nerves were sending her.
After what felt like years of pain and noise, Lisa found herself alone at last. Was it night? She hadn't heard any gunshots. What did these people want from her? Were they going to kill her? Or would they just keep using her as a punching bag? Well, she got a break for now. Every inch of her body ached. She wouldn't be ready to stand for a long time. Had the Formas ever done anything like this to the humans? A shiver ran through Lisa.
Was that why they wanted to see her suffer? How much pain had these humans been put through? It was often the cruelest of souls who had suffered the most. Lisa had learned that many times. She closed her eyes and tried to rest. A lump was rising in her throat now. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Maybe it was because of the pain, maybe the guilt. Maybe she just missed her girls. Maybe if she fell asleep, she could dream about them. Yes, she would do that. Dream now, escape later.